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May 7, 2013

Partners for Life Police Appreciation Run 10K, St. Petersburg, Florida, May 5, 2013: race recap

For some reason, I signed up for a 10K-5K challenge. One of those things that sounded like a good idea at the time …

The 10K started at 6:59 a.m. It was early, but I was still worried about the possibility of heat and humidity. Thankfully, a cool front came through the area, and it was actually chilly at the start. Yes, chilly in May in Florida. (And yes, 67 is chilly.) Not sure how that happened, but I’ll take it.

It was nice to know so many people running this race. And, it was great to be able to run with my running buddy, Lori, because, boy, did I need her.

This race felt uncomfortable from start to finish. I just never felt in the groove. Each step took effort.

And, having to run a 5K after it was always in the back of my mind.

And, having to run on my running nemesis in both races was bothering me, too.

We hit the pesky pier within the first mile, and it really wasn’t that bad. Granted, nothing was great in this race, but as far as the pier goes, it could have been worse. It was a little windy, but not terrible. Mile 1: 11:09 Mile 2: 11:51 (oops, probably started too fast)After getting off the pier, we noticed a 3-mile marker sign that was backward, and we definitely weren't at mile 3. We figured we must turn around and hit 3 miles on the way back at that point. Well, we kept checking our watches and waiting for our turnaround, but realized that wasn’t going to happen. We kept running and hit 3 miles at a completely different spot.

It was a little confusing, but not much makes sense to me while I’m running. My mind does not function. I guess all energy is used to run (especially this race).

The course had pretty fantastic views of downtown St. Petersburg and the bay throughout the course. As much as I complain about the pier, it really is a pretty beautiful place to run.

We stopped at each water stop and walked through to drink, but made sure to pick a spot to start running quickly after each stop. Thank goodness Lori enforced this. The way this race was feeling for me, I could have walked for miles instead of a minute.

Mile 3: 11:29Mile 4: 11:21

Before the race, we talked about what we needed to do to get a personal record (PR). Lori needed under 1:13:16, and I needed under 1:10:37. I was really hoping we could get Lori’s PR; I didn’t want to hold her back. Thankfully, I kept up with her even though it never felt good.

We both started to tire around mile 5. It was actually pretty hot in the sun (but chilly in the shade), and we both needed a break. So, we walked for a bit, but made sure to point out a landmark to begin running again. This was the best walk break ever. I felt rejuvenated after this break, and I knew I had enough in me to finish strong. Mile 5: 10:56Mile 6: 10:52

We ran hard the last mile, and as we made the turn into the park toward the finish with about 0.2 miles to go, Lori said we had under 1:10. So, we gunned it.

Thanks to Lori's husband, Chris, for the photo (and for being an awesome spectator).

And, we did. Our official gun time: 1:09:54 (the chip time should be lower, but I don't see it on the official scoring site; my watch had 1:09:16). PRs all the way around! Yay!

I was just not feeling it this day, and I’m actually pretty shocked that I pulled out a PR. But, it really doesn’t have much to do with me; it’s all Lori. Thanks, running buddy!

Oh, and that backward mile marker? We found out after the race that the course leader took a wrong turn at the start. I would have never known (I’m a terrible map reader, so even though I saw the course, I had no idea we went the wrong way); we ended up with a 6.2-mile course, so it seemed to work out fine.

We finished around 8:10 a.m. So, I had 20 minutes to recover and get ready for the 5K, which you can read about tomorrow.Have you ever run a PR in a race that you just weren't feeling? Do you have a PR that you owe someone else the credit for? I sure do!

Once in a while, I get a PR when I'm not feeling so great... but come to find out that the not feeling so great is because I'm running faster than usual! That cool weather probably allowed you to run a little faster than you are used to!! Keep this up through the summer and you will be a little speedy turtle come fall!!

Cognrats on your PR! They usually happen when you least expect them to! Way to go on doing a 10k-5k challenge... I have yet to do any kind of back to back race challenges like this - Maybe next year :)

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I'm Jina, and I live in the Tampa Bay area. I run, and I am slowly trying to get faster. I also like watching sports (especially baseball), playing sports (sand volleyball and softball) and pop culture.